A Promising New Treatment is on the Horizon for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is a absolutely devastating disease, both for the person diagnosed with it and their families. The person with Alzheimer’s must slowly lose all of their memories, one by one, until they are all gone. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch.

That’s why scientists have been racing to figure out the causes of Alzheimer’s, so a cure can one day be developed. A recent discovery has given new hope to all of those affected by this terrible disease, which pleases Paul Mathieson. Researchers have found a potential cause.

A study at Duke university in North Carolina have revealed mice who had Alzheimer’s also had immune cells that were consuming a nutrient called arginine which plays a vital role in protecting the brain.

Without enough of this nutrient the neural networks slowly begin to deteriorate and die, causing Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the presence of a drug given to the mice was able to block these processes from taking place within the immune cells. Administering the drug stopped memory loss in the mice by inhibiting the growth of ‘plaques’ on the brain.

These findings might prove to be revolutionary in finding a cure, or at least a treatment, to Alzheimer’s disease. However, mice are not humans so more studies are certainly needed before this new drug could be available to patients.